Petition filed against Odisha CM, vigilance director

A petition was filed in a local court against Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and vigilance director K.B. Singh, alleging criminal conspiracy by them against former state police chief Prakash Mishra.

Kharavela Swain, president of Utkal Bharat party, filed the petition with the Khurda district court, which posted the matter for hearing on August 20.

Swain alleged in his petition that Patnaik directed the vigilance department to file a "false" case of corruption against Mishra with mala fide intent of scuttling his chances of being elevated to the post of the CBI director.

Mishra is now director general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Swain had earlier filed an FIR against Patnaik and K.B. Singh at the Capital police station in Bhubaneswar.

"After we failed to get justice from police, which is protecting its political masters, we have taken the recourse of judicial justice," said Swain.

The Odisha High Court had quashed the state vigilance case against Mishra on June 20, stating that it is not uncommon that honest and upright officers are victimised by political establishments.

In September 2014, the vigilance department registered a case against Mishra, alleging that he had committed some financial irregularities during his tenure as the chairman-cum-managing director of the Orissa Police Housing and Welfare Corporation in 2009.